The Art of Authentic Blogging

Authentic blogging isn’t something that I was ever taught. Heck, most of the stuff I learnt during my time blogging wasn’t taught by anybody. You just kind of figure it out. And I guess that is the same as authentic blogging.

Being authentic doesn’t come naturally for some. Being your true, undeniable self can be a scary thing. But when it comes to writing it makes it even harder. There is the temptation to put on a persona. You are behind a screen after all. But, in doing this you lose the trust of your readers and you really do a disservice to yourself.

I always thought the idea of authentic blogging meant that we were to share the highs but highlight the lows. In my mind, being authentic was being relatable but now I realise thats probably not the case.

Being authentic can mean so much different to each individual writer. To me, authenticity is showing me. The imperfections, the quirks I have, the things I love to do. And most importantly not being afraid to share what’s on my mind and my true self. Thats what authenticity means to me.

OLIVIA, HOW CAN I BE MY AUTHENTIC SELF AS A WRITER?

If you have a writing platform and you’re already writing and sharing content that you want to. You’re half way there. Being an authentic writer to me is being relatable and sharing the stuff that you know will help or benefit others. It’s so important as a blogger that you learn to understand your audience. This may take some time as you build your reader base. But it will be worth it.

I tend to use my blog as an open diary. I look back at the posts I’ve shared, and I can pin point a moment in my life where I have been going through the exact thing I wrote about. You, the reader would never know this of course. But thats what I think makes an authentic blogger. I didn’t ever share in the post themselves that its what I was dealing with, but I was writing in real time. In the moment of feeling helpless or inspired. I wrote. And authenticity comes from truth.

You will never go wrong writing from personal experience.

You Might Also Like: We all wear masks – How to be Authentic

DON’T BE AFRAID TO SHARE YOUR TRUE SELF

The beautiful thing about blogging and writing in general is that it’s open for everybody. Every single person on this planet has wisdom to share. It may not captivate the attention of everybody, but someone will find your words inspiring and useful. Sharing your true self with your readers is one of the best ways to ensure you’re providing authentic blogging.

It can be daunting thinking about sharing yourself with the world. Even I get uncomfortable with that. And there are certain boundaries I won’t cross on my blog. Having those boundaries are good. But, letting the wall down for a short while is good too.

To me, being authentic in your writing is writing from the heart. Are you going through a tough time? Share your story. As little or as much as you like. Are you struggling to find the right words to say to someone? Use it to inspire your next post.

I have found when I let the words slip off my fingers as I’m typing, to be my favourite pieces of writing. Don’t think, just type.

You Might Also Like: Me, Myself & Self-Doubt

When researching for this idea, I came across the lovely Thesideblogger’s post. 5 ways to be an authentic blogger. please check it out! It has so many awesome ideas on how to stay true to yourself.

Do you struggle with authentic blogging? How do you ensure you remain authentic in your writing?

Olivia x 
 Twitter • Blog